Cancer is really a 4-letter word

Yesterday was a work-in-progress day.  It took most of the day to get his pain below a 7 or 8 level.  Palliative care got involved and added pain medication to his routine and that significantly improved his comfort.  That took about 4 hours to finally get right.  He is still very anxious and stressed out.  He’s struggling with intense confusion as a result of his high ammonia level (which is now at 143).  He began a new chemo yesterday and we’re still in the first 24 hours of treatment.  We are watching him very closely for side effects, especially nausea.

The fluid they pulled from his lung had cancer in it.  Not good.  They got it all out and once his echo came back clear, he was started on DT Pace chemotherapy.  He was able to calm down enough last night to get some decent sleep.  He is still struggling to get real R.E.M. sleep, but we’re working on it.  I’m coaching him as we speak to calm down and rest.  He just fell asleep! J

The nurses and doctors here are incredible and taking awesome care of him.  His pain is their primary focus and it shows.  His oncologist came in today and calmed a few immediate concerns for me.  The ammonia level isn’t causing any obvious damage to his organs, just yet.  Currently his confusion is the biggest identifier.  Apparently, this is a very common issue with multiple myeloma patients.  The confusion, I thought, would be permanent.  It won’t be.  Once his level comes down, he’ll be able to think more clearly.  Phew!

As far as the big picture, it’s fairly scary.  If this chemo works, he’ll get a transplant sooner rather than later.  If this chemo doesn’t work, he’ll be at the end of the road for options.  We should know which direction this is heading within 2-3 weeks.  In the meantime, we are watching him closely and supporting his fight.

The chemo will be administered for 4 days straight.  We can start expecting to see side effects within the next 24 hours.  Fingers are crossed the nausea can be controlled and vomiting is avoided.  He already has a few broken ribs.  So, imagine vomiting with broken/brittle ribs.  Not a good scenario.

He is aware of what is going on and that he’s going to be here for at least another 3-4 weeks.  When he was asked if he wanted to go ahead with treatment, his response was, “What choice do I have? Let’s do it.”  He’s still fighting to be here and that is reassuring.

The older kids are working to get the house packed and moved from La Grande to Sierra Vista.  Jacob and I are in Phoenix with dad.  Isaac will help Sam and Sarah in a week to get the final stuff handled in La Grande.  If all goes well, the kids should be in Arizona by the end of the month.  We will be doing our Christmas for the entire month of January.  There will be some serious overcompensation for the crumby holiday season we’ve had thus far.

Dad asked for some spiritual support this morning, which I happily arranged for him.  This evening he’ll be given a blessing and hopefully some peace.  This past week has been nothing short of intense.  He has had no time to mentally adjust to the new plans or to the new reality of his cancer.  It has been difficult for him to relinquish the control he is so used to having.  His confusion makes it very hard for doctors and nurses to help him.  He has to rely a lot on Jake and I to fill in the gaps.  This is hard for him all in itself.

Again, thank you for all of the kind words of support and love.  It is around us as we speak and keeps our spirits up and our hearts full.  I will update again in a few days as things in this very dynamic situation evolve.  
DONATE?  This has been incredible to see grow!!  Thank you so much for those who have spread the word beyond Facebook!  The number posted isn't even the grand total.  A lovely woman in La Grande pooled her resources and raised a large sum through her efforts!!! This has been so cool!
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